The Sony Xperia Z is one of the most eagerly awaited smartphones of 2013 and that might be because of its latest UI. You can use this post to learn how to install the Sony Xperia Z Launcher using a simple APK file, and get the latest features of the Xperia Z user interface right for your Android device.

The APK of the Sony Xperia Z official launcher can be installed on any Android 4.0.3 and later smartphones. Below you can find a list of its most important features:

it can be installed on any Android device with any resolution and DPI setings.

user selectable desktop and app drawer grid size up to 12×12.

support for assigning swipe, pinch and double tap gestures

infinite scrolling

it works with Launcher Pro and Go Launchers icon packs

you can customize individual shortcuts by setting icons and label

backup and restore support for backing up launcher data

you can add shortcuts for launcher actions and any other activity

you can search for apps right from the app drawer

you can create folders in the app drawer only when using the ‘own order’ function instead of ‘alphabetical’, ‘most used’ or ‘recently installed’ options.

works with Android 4.0.3 and later variants.

in the next days you should see that widget addition will be supported, too.

There are tons of other features that you can experience only by installing this launcher. In order to make sure that you successfully install the Sony Xperia Z Home Launcher APK on your device, you should take a look at the guidelines listed below, too.

Sony Xperia Z custom launcher APK for all the other Android 4.0.3 and later smartphones has been created and released by ‘ra3al’, an XDA member and developer. Here’s what you need to know in order to make sure that you’re device can support the installation of this new custom launcher:

Obviously, your device should be on Android 4.0.3 ICS or any other later build.

You should have a backup of the settings of your current launcher, just in case something goes wrong and you lose its setup after the new launcher is installed.

Go to Settings menu, open ‘Security’ and enable the option that says ‘Unknown sources’. This will allow you to flash new custom APKs directly from your device’s SDcard.

You need to have installed a file managing application so that you will be able to find the APK file.

You can save your file on your computer and move it to your smartphone after the download is complete or, you can download it directly to your phone.

Open the File Manager app and browse your phone’s folders to find the Xperia Z APK file. For Jelly Bean devices you can tap once the Xperia Z Launcher APK download complete notification and confirm the installation.

Confirm that you want to install the new Xperia Launcher.

Tap on the Home button of your phone and select Xperia Launcher to launch this new custom launcher app.

Customize the home screen and all the other menus for it suit your needs.

These were all the steps that you had to take and now you’re free to test the new launcher. If you find any bugs or errors when testing Xperia Z Launcher, then you can tell us in comments or you can choose to visit the XDA dedicated thread for this custom APK. If you cannot complete the installation then you can ask for extra help by leaving a detailed comment at the end of this post.